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“Viva La Vida” by Coldplay is a pop song that sits primarily in the key of G major, featuring four common chords: C Major, D Major, G Major, and E minor. The song’s simplicity lies in the consistent use of these chords, which creates a consistent harmony throughout the song.

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This is a simple and common chord progression often known as “four chords” used often in pop and rock music. The song is in G Major and the progression has a I-V-vi-IV pattern.

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“Let It Happen” by Tame Impala is characterized by its psychedelic and experimental nuances. It features an overall bright and uplifting tone despite its use of some more complex chords. The song ska common in pop music. The chord progression in question has a strong melodic sensibility demonstrating Kevin Parker’s ability to incorporate complex musical ideas into a pop format.

The chord progression in Verse 2 of Beck’s “Say Goodbye” showcases a unique blend of chords that are not commonly heard together in popular music. The mix of major, minor, and borrowed chords creates an interesting and engaging sound. Its distinctive quality can be found in the use of the A# major chord, which is not diatonic to the key of G major.

The chord progression in verse 2 of “Telepatia” by Kali Uchis is a jazz-influenced progression in the key of E minor. It features several extended chords, such as the Em9 and Gmaj7 used throughout, and a dominant chord, B7, which provides tension and resolution in the progression. The G/A chord, which is essentially an A11 chord without the 3rd, also gives the progression a sense of blending major and minor tonalities.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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C Major (I)
D Major (‘V/V)
G Major (IV)
E minor (vi)

The progression repeats four times. It is important to denote that D Major is a borrowed chord in this case, functioning as a secondary dominant (‘V/V – dominant of the dominant) to G Major.

**Chord Symbols in Code: (For Borrowed Chord Indication)**

“`
D Major (‘V/V)
“`

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Similar Chord Progressions

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Here are some songs which share similar chord progressions in the genre of pop rock:

1. “Let it Be” by The Beatles: C – G – Am – F (or in terms of Roman numerals: I – V – vi – IV)

2. “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley: C – G – Am – F
(I – V – vi – IV)

3. “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey: E – B – C#m – A
(I – V – vi – IV)

This highlights the fact that the I – V – vi – IV progression (or a variant of it) is something that has been popularly used in many successful songs across genres and decades.

Musical Analysis

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The progression starts with a major tonic chord which gives a sense of stability. The second chord, D major, which is a borrowed chord, adds a bit of suspense, essentially pulling towards the G major chord, creating a resolution. The fourth and last chord, E minor, gives a touch of melancholia to the musical phrase.

The progression itself is quiet dynamic, constantly moving forward and driving the song. Also, the oscillation between major and minor chords brings a good balance of cheerful and more introspective moments.

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Overall Analysis

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“Viva la Vida” mostly utilizes a four-chord progression thorough the song which is fairly common in popular music. The verse we are focusing on replicating the verse goes like this: C – D – G – Em. The chord progressions are pretty simple, catchy and give the song an uplifting feel.

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Style Analysis

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Coldplay is known for their uplifting, anthemic style of music and ‘Viva la Vida’ fits into this style perfectly. There is a mix of pop and rock elements, with a catchy, repeating chord progression that drives the song and makes it memorable.

The use of simple and common chord progressions is a hallmark of Coldplay’s music and ‘Viva la Vida’ is no exception. The band often uses simple and repetitive chord progressions as a background for their outstanding melody lines and lyrics.

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Chords in the Verse 2 section of Viva La Vida by Coldplay are:

[‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’]